Spherical polymer microspheres can be mass produced with extraordinary precision and low cost. Many uses for these microspheres have been developed that rely on the specific binding of a microsphere to a target, and the labelling of the polymer microsphere with various dyes or magnetic material.
Spherical glass lenses greater than 1 mm in diameter are used for coupling light into or out of fibers as well as for relaying images across a short distance.
The present application describes new optical applications of spherical polymer microspheres less than 10 microns in diameter.